Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Adidas Invitational
Wildcats Place Sixth in adidas Invitational
9/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country & Track
Sept. 28, 2007
EVANSTON, Ill.-- At the adidas Invitational, the women's cross country team continued its strong start to the season as its top runners returned to action and helped the team to a sixth-place finish in the Gold Division race on Friday at the nine-hole Notre Dame Golf Course in South Bend, Ind.
Junior co-captain Carly Brown (Kalispell, Mont./Flathead) stormed ahead of the field finishing 11th overall with a time of 18:12. Right behind Brown for the third time in their four races, fellow co-captain Celia Franklin (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) ran the course in 18:32, earning a 28th-place finish overall.
On the shoulders of Brown and Franklin, the 'Cats finished ahead of in-state rivals Illinois State and Southern Illinois, host Notre Dame and Big Ten foe Ohio State, which finished 17th. Grand Valley State took the Gold Division women's crown, while Rice University won the Blue Division.
Senior Marie Grabinski (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) and sophomores Paulina Garcia (Streamwood, Ill./Streamwood) and Britta Helwig (Chicago, Ill./Luther North) ran neck-and-neck for the duration of the race and finished within six seconds of each other at 18:53, 18:58 and 18:59, respectively.
Also finishing in the Gold Division's top 150 were Marcellee Fullwood (Houston, Texas/Cypress Falls) with a time of 19:44 and Maddie Rozwat (Hillsborough, Calif./Crystal Springs Uplands) at 20:04.
In the Open Division, Northwestern placed eight runners, led by freshman Lauren Maddox (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor) at 20:44.
The 'Cats have two weeks off to rest following the adidas Invitational before it races again at the Bradley Invitational at 5 p.m. on Oct. 12 in Peoria, Ill. The course serves as a preview to the team as it will soon return to Peoria for the NCAA Regionals on Nov. 10.
